Strategies for Curriculum Innovation
Uploaded by
Abdur Rehman SomrooStrategies for Curriculum Innovation
Uploaded by
Abdur Rehman Somroo- Curriculum Innovation
- Re-educative and Coercive Strategies
CURRICULUM INNOVATION
Change is the process of transforming phenomena into something different. It has dimensions
of rate, scale, degree, continuity and direction. So curriculum change should possess all these
dimensions. Curriculum change in simple terms proceed through
1. Selection of aims, goals and objectives
2. Selection of learning experiences
3. Selection of content
4. Organization and integration of learning experiences
5. Evaluation
These five phases of curriculum development may also act as infrastructure for curriculum
change. Change incorporates the associated concepts of innovation and adoption and is a
planned phenomenon. Bennis has enlisted even types of change which are commonly found in
formal organizations.
1. Planned change
2. Indoctrination change
3. Coercive change
4. Technocratic change
5. Interactional change
6. Cumulative change
7. Natural change
Curriculum improvement is a linear process; this process involves modification in curriculum
over a long period. Curriculum involves a shift in position which may be in either direction that
is favorable or unfavorable. Certain changes may be called improvements by certain personnel
but at the same time some personnel may regard these backward steps. So, according to
Bennis, it is deliberate and collaborative process involving a change agent and client system
which are brought together to solve a problem.
STRATEGIES OF CURRICULUM CHANGE/ INNOVATION
There are three major types of strategies of curriculum innovation:
Rational Empirical Strategies
The basic principle of these strategies is that people are reasonable and will therefore act in
rational manner Supporters of these strategies argue that when exposed to an innovation,
people will react according to their best interest that is, when aware of an innovation, seeing its
inherent value to themselves, people will adopt it.
Strategies using a logical and rational justification rely upon the active and effective
dissemination of knowledge in order to link the innovation with potential users. Those users,
acting rationally, will then seek the innovation as a logical solution to their problems and
thereby adopt it. The change agent plays an active role which centers on facilitating
1
dissemination of knowledge about the innovation. Typically in schools, with implementation of
a curriculum innovation, dissemination is achieved through holding many workshops, seminars,
and demonstrations to illustrate the inherent value of the innovation.
These strategies are used in many countries like Australia as well as in our schools. Examples of
innovation adopted using rational approaches include conference writing in primary school
English, the use of video recorders, use of overhead projectors and multimedia projectors in
secondary school classes and increased use of computers in the classrooms.
Normative Re-educative Strategies
The basic principle of normative re-educative strategies is concerned with changing people,
particularly their perceptions and attitudes, and hence their subsequent behavior.
The changing of behavior may be viewed in two ways, First, from the perspective of a change
agent who perceives substantial resistance from participants to the proposed change and who
consequently seeks to ensure that behavior is changed in the appropriate direction. And second
from the viewpoint of a change agent who realizes that effective change will ensue when
participants are re-educated as to the benefits of the proposed change.
Group-work techniques such as group decision making, workshops, and training groups are
used as means of reeducating people to see things differently. To achieve this, persuasive
communication of various forms are employed. Thus, most forms of advertising, which
emphasize a transformational approach to attitudes and values, may be considered as
normative re-educative strategies.
The change agent in normative re-educative strategies is usually an external force working with
a group in a collaborative manner. Emphasis is placed upon encouraging clients to recognize,
acknowledge and adopt the innovation.
Examples of the normative re-educative strategies in education include groups such as staff
meetings, departmental meetings, in-service groups, working parties, consultants working with
the staff groups and so on.
Power Coercive Strategies
These strategies are sometimes called political administrative strategies, because they are top-
down in nature. This group of change procedures is based on the control of rewards and
punishments as a means of regulating the behavior of participants. Power is used as the
ultimate sanction that is, people are told to do something such as adopt an innovation by
someone in the authority. If the action is not carried out, the threat of a sanction is applied.
Subsequently the sanction may be applied in order to ensure compliance.
The essential features of Power Coercive strategies for curriculum innovation are:
1. Possessing the power to demand the curriculum be changed
2. Possessing the power to force people to comply with the directed change.
2
With these strategies participants are forced to comply with imposed directions on the
curriculum if they want reward or wish to avoid sanctions. Change agents using power coercive
strategies within an educational context are usually figures of authority such as senior system
managers or senior school administrators. These persons have the power to impose sanctions
and allocate rewards. They would likely to initiate the threat of a sanction if the curriculum
innovation concerned was not being implemented effectively.
Power coercive strategies are usually employed where change agents want a quick response
either to achieve institutionalization of the innovation or if it is a particularly large and
complicated innovation, to ensure it is well under way. Similarly the power coercive strategies
are usually used for implementing technical changes to the curriculum such as new assessment
procedures, or new syllabus document.
Prof. A. R. Somroo
Department of Education
Govt. Emerson College, Multan
